Bishop Zondo raped us – Congregates testify

The CRL Rights Commission heard testimonies of women alleging to have been raped by Bishop Stephen Zondo.

On Tuesday 15th December former church members of the Rivers of Living Waters Ministry, led by Zondo, told the commission how they suffered blackouts after being touched by Zondo, and when they regained counciounesness they found him penetrating them.

They said Zondo practiced a divide and rule strategy as well as to create a mistrust among the congregants so they don’t breath a word to anyone. Among the victims who spoke out were a mother and daughter.

They said they were raped twice by Zondo and he told them he was getting rid of the demons. Sharing their ordeal the mum said the first rape occurred in 2015 when she was dropping off a church member at the church premises in the evening.

She said she was also traveling with her daughter and her friend in the car.

“He was standing outside when I drove in. We all stepped outside the car to greet him as a sign of respect. He shook our hands one by one.

“I don’t know what happened in between, when I came back to my senses, I was naked and he was also naked on top of me in his office. I screamed asking what is happening, he said he was removing a demon,” she said.

She told the commission that she was confused driving back home and when she asked her daughter and her friend how did she go with Zondo to his office no one knew what happened either.

She said:” They said they only heard me screaming but they thought I was getting a deliverance.”

She said few weeks later, Zondo called her to his office.

“I thought he wanted to apologise but he forced me to drink bottled water, and I got another blackout. When I got back to my senses, he was naked again, he had done it again. He said he was removing a demon, I asked him why is this demon in my vagina,” she said.

She said it took her a while to open up to her daughter, who also shared her experience.

They have both opened criminal cases against Zondo.

“I didn’t know why I was the target but as time went by I realised I wasn’t the only one,” she added.

Her daughter told the commission that she worked as Zondo’s personal chef before joining his church.

She said the rape happened in his office while she had passed out.

“I was on the floor and he was on op of me naked with his private parts exposed. He said he was taking out demons.

She said: “It was like a father and daughter relationship. He was concerned and interested about my life. I had too many what-ifs, wondering if I had led him on.”

Earlier in the day, a woman also told the commission how she was raped allegedly by Zondo.

Earlier in the day, a woman also told the commission how she was raped allegedly by Zondo.

She described Zondo as a fake Prophet and evil.

She said: “That is the house of the devil. That man is evil, he doesn’t care about anyone else but himself.”

On Monday, Zondo and Pastor Lydia Malete lost their appeal to stop the Commission from holding its public hearing, which began last month, looking into allegations of sexual assault and financial misconduct against his church.